YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

The Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is for adults working or living with adolescents, those aged between approximately 12 and 18 years. YMHFA is particularly suitable for parents, teachers, sports coaches, and youth workers.

The course teaches adults how to assist adolescents who are developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. Course participants learn about adolescent development, the signs and symptoms of the common and disabling mental health problems in young people, where and how to get help when a young person is developing a mental illness, what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective, and how to provide first aid in a crisis situation.

Developing mental health problems covered are:

• Depression

• Anxiety problems

• Psychosis

• Substance use problems

• Eating disorders

Mental health crisis situations covered are:

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviours

• Non-suicidal self-injury (sometimes called deliberate self-harm)

• Panic attacks

• Traumatic events

• Severe effects of drug or alcohol use

• Severe psychotic states

• Aggressive behaviours

I have been delivering this course since 2009.

It is a great course. Let me know if you are interested